It was this day last year that New York Governor Kathy Hochul visited the Seneca Nation's Cattaraugus Territory to formally apologize for the state's operation of the Thomas Indian School from 1875 until 1957.
Thomas was one of hundreds of Indian boarding schools across the United States and Canada ran by various federal, state and religious institutions whose goal was to eliminate Native culture and identity to force assimilation into white society.
Thousands died in that system, and many Native students were subjected to physical and mental abuse at the hands of government and religious officials.
"It became a place of nightmares, a place some would call a torture chamber. A site of sanctioned ethnic cleansing,” Hochul said in May 2025. “On behalf of the State of New York, I Governor Kathy Hochul, apologize to the Seneca Nation of Indians and survivors and descendants from all nations who attended."
During that apology visit the governor made a promise for reconciliation with the Senecas and other Native nations.
"We cannot change the horrors of the past, but I recommit to the truth, justice, reconciliation, accountability and healing that are so essential to move forward together," she said.
But Seneca Nation President JC Seneca said during a legislative advocacy day in Albany this week that Hochul and her office has been slow in that promise.
"She had a lot of great words, a lot of great things to say. Lots of ideas," said Seneca. "But we stand here almost one year from then, and we haven't seen any action."
Seneca said after decades of operating the Thomas Indian School as a means of ethnic cleansing, the state should finance Seneca language immersion schools to offer culturally-aware education.
"We need the state to invest in Seneca Nation language, and we want them to fund and build two schools, one in Cattaraugus, one in Allegany — immersion schools where people can come and learn the language," he said. "We also also want them to not just build the schools, but continue to fund it so that we have the ability to operate these and add to what our language departments are currently doing."
A spokesperson for Hochul told BTPM NPR that officials within her office met recently with nation leaders to discuss language revitalization efforts, and is committed to supporting reconciliation efforts.
"Governor Hochul is committed to strengthening the government-to-government relationship between the Seneca Nation and the State of New York," the statement read. "Our administration continues to meet with Seneca officials to find ways for additional collaboration and discuss the unique challenges facing the Nation."
In addition, President Seneca is calling on the state to fund ground penetrating radar studies of the entire former campus of the Thomas Indian School — nearly 150 acres.
"If there are any of our people or other nations' remains there, then they can be identified and dealt with in a proper manner," said Seneca. "[It's] something that we've talked about for a while now, and we haven't gotten any responses on."
He added if New York State doesn't contribute to the search for possible unmarked graves, the Seneca Nation is preparing to do it themselves.
